Donald Trump has claimed that it has been decades since anyone other than him has been charged under the Espionage Act, but in reality several other individuals have been similarly charged and sentenced recently, giving us a clue as to prison time Trump might face if he is ultimately convicted.
The former president could potentially strike a deal that includes house arrest, but if he is found guilty by a jury and gets a prison sentence, there are several cases that point to what that term might look like, according to a report Friday by CBS.
"Analyst Kendra Kingsbury was sentenced to 46 months in prison for willful retention of national security secrets, accused of illegally keeping 386 classified documents at her personal residence in Kansas. She pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Espionage Act that involved 20 of the documents," Caitlin Yilek reported. "Kingsbury's case and others involving Espionage Act violations offer a guidepost for the potential consequences Trump faces if he's convicted, but also highlight the uniqueness of his case."
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Beyond Kingsbury's case, CBS reported, there are several other similar cases to consider. And they rarely go to trial, the outlet said, citing an expert. That same expert, national security lawyer Mark Zaid, told the reporter, "Usually the sentences are around three to six years."
"Since 2017, at least seven cases involving the same provision of the Espionage Act ended in guilty pleas, including Kingsbury's. Another went to trial, resulting in a guilty verdict," CBS reported. "None were sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison — sentences ranged from 18 months to nine years — and more than half received lesser sentences than the government had asked for."
